Celebration of the One Year Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (30-10-2017)

Welcome to the official site of the government of
the Republic of Chameria

Our Campaign

To build our nation and get justice and recognition for the people of Chameria.

Become A Citizen

Register and apply for a passport and other legal documents.

Do business

Assistance for entrepreneurs who wish to develop commercial activities with Chameria.

ABOUT

About Festim Lato

Festim Lato is the president of the Republic of Chameria. He was born in Vlore, Albania from a family who fled from Chameria during the last years of World War II.

For many years it has been his personal mission to restore the rights and dignity of the Cham people who have been a victim of historical crimes and injustice.

The president believes in international dialogue, so that through political and diplomatic means we can reach our goal of a free and prosperous Chameria.

In order to gain freedom and justice for the Cham people he actively engages with the international community and is in contact with representatives of many governments to get the “Cham Issue” on the agenda.

On 3 October 2017 President Festim Lato became an officially recognized diplomat at the United Nations with the diplomatic rank of Director of Western Balkan Affairs.

CITIZENSHIP

Become A Citizen

Register to become a citizen of the Republic of Chameria. Citizenship is open to all Cham people and their supporters. You can start the application process by filling out the registration form by clicking on the button below. The government administration will then prepare the required documents .

Citizenship of the Republic of Chameria has many benefits. You can use all of the public services that the government offers. Furthermore, it provides access to the land registry of Chameria which can be used to invest in land and property in the Republic of Chameria.

A passport is offered to all those who are granted citizenship of the Republic of Chameria. The passport of the Republic of Chameria is a recognised document by most of the European countries, like the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Great Britain as well as the United States and Canada. You will be able to travel within Europe and elsewhere without problems and enjoy the freedom that comes with being part of the Cham nation.

GOALS

Our Goals

The goal of the government of the Republic of Chameria is to represent the Cham people to the best of its ability. It does this by offering basic government services to its citizens and to represent the Cham people at home and abroad. The government actively engages in international dialogue to campaign for the return of confiscated land and property and to gain recognition for the historical and continuous national identity of the Cham people and the Chamerian territory.

The rights of Chams to freely declare their national affiliation

1. The rights of Chams and Arvanites living in Chameria to freely declare the affiliation of their national pertinence ;

1.1. The right of free declaration of political conviction;

1.2. The right of free declaration of cultural and religious beliefs

Return of land

2. Allow the return of Chams and Arvanites to inherited land, from which they were evicted, on the basis of the Greek-Turkish agreement of 30 January 1923;

2.1. Return to their ancestral lands of the Arberesh, who now live in Italy, Croatia known as the Arbëresh Community;

2.2. Return of all Chams and Arvanites who have been expelled as a result of ethnic cleansing of Chams during and after the First and Second World War;

2.3. Sanctioning all these expelling and terrorizing campaigns as genocide by the Greek government, exercised through the periods mentioned above which can be easily documented, undertaken against Albanians throughout Greece, especially in Chameria;

Albanian language use

3. The right to use the Albanian language as an official language throughout the territory of the Greek-Cham Confederation;

3.1. Learning Albanian, native language in pre-school institutions, high schools and universities in Cham, not only for local Chams and Arvanites, but also for Albanians living in the Greek-Cham confederation with permanent residence conform the laws In force throughout the Greco-Chame Confederation;

Right to know

4. The right to know the properties of Arbëresh, Cham and Arvanitas confiscated by the Greek government and the decisions in the past, property imbursed by the Greek population, and the cancelation of the law on confiscation adopted by the Greek government of 1953-4;

Cultural rights

5. The right to use national symbols on state holidays, family and religious holidays;

5.1. Allowing religious preaching and liturgies in Albanian;

5.2. Construction and renovation of educational, cultural and religious institutions in the whole territory of the Greco-Chame Confederation;

Political rights

6. The right to political-state organization of Chams, Arvanites and Arbereshes in the territory historically known as Chameria.

6.1. Building of representative institutions of the Cham population, according to the Constitutional Declaration dated 30 October 2016, proclaimed at The Hague in the Inclusive Assembly of Chams;

6.2. Development of the Cham-Greek talks with the mediation of the international factor, in accordance with the political offer provided by the Declaration on the Independence of Chameria, 30 October, 2016, and the Resolutions 2017/01 dated:27 Jun,2017.

Declaration of Independence

Constitution

Citizenship

On 30 October 2016 the Chamerian people through an all-inclusive Assembly made their will to the world known by proclaiming the independence of Chameria.

Declaration of Independence of Chameria

President’s speech to the Assembly

Following the declaration of independence on 30 October 2016, a constitutional convention prepared the new constition for the Republic of Chameria, which was presented on [date].

Constitution

Following the nationbuilding process of the declaration of independence and the creation of a constitution it is now possible to become a full citizen of the Republic of Chameria and apply for a passport.

BUSINESS

Chamber of Commerce ofChameria

We provide active support to companies, organisations and individuals who see business opportunities in Chameria. Our Chamber of Commerce organises frequent meetings for those interested in becoming part of a business network with a focus on one of the regions of Europe with the most potential for growth. The Chamber of Commerce also organises economic missions where business partners are able to meet with other businesses and governmental and nongovernmental institutions.

PROGRESS

Our Mission

The Government of the Republic of Chameria is actively pursuing diplomatic relations with national governments and international institutions all over the world. Prime Minister Festim Lato, his cabinet and his advisors have met with government representatives from a large number of countries. The mission to represent Chameria and to gain recognition and support for the people continues and many more official visits will follow.

GOVERNMENT

Our Cabinet

The government of the Republic of Chameria is elected based on the constitution and is headed by the elected president, Festim Lato. An overview of the various members of his cabinet is shown below.

Festim Lato

President

Ali Aliu

Prime-Minister &
Minister of Defense

Rrustem Geci

Minister of Interior Affairs

Elena Kocaqi

Minister of Justice

NEWS

Latest News

The latest news about Chameria and press releases from the government of the Republic of Chameria.

On 7 November 2018, the Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato discussed the Cham issue with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union, Ms Federica Mogherini. President Festim Lato and his delegation have been in contact with the European External Action Service (EEAS) fo …

A resolution calling on the Albanian government to remedy a disriminatory measure that targets the Cham community was published in a report of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) of the European Parliament. The persistent discrimination against the Cham people is a great concern for president Festi …

30 October is an important date for the Cham people. It is the date of the establishment of the Republic of Chameria. Today, 30 October 2018, marks the second anniversary of the declaration of independence and it is therefore another milestone in the history of Chameria. Since its declaration in 201 …

During a three day visit to Israel, president Festim Lato went to the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) and met with a number of Israeli officials. The objective of the visit was to inform key political, religious, business and community leaders of the situation of the Cham community and receive supp …

Today 11 October 2018, the Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato visited the Council of Europe in Strassbourg, France, to discuss the situation of the Cham community and seek support for the president’s actions to remedy the continuing marginalisation of the Cham people and their human rights i …

After several days of fruitful meetings with representatives of academic institutions and non-governmental organisations the president and his delegation visited the Norwegian Parliament, the Stortinget, in Oslo on 21 September 2018 in order to inform the democratic political parties of the Cham iss …

The Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato and Prime-Minister Ali Aliu travelled to the Scandinavian country of Norway this week to inform the Norwegian government, parliament, academia and civil society about the Cham issue and to find support for the activities of the Republic of Chameria. Nor …

On Thursday 6 September 2018, the Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato attended a high profile event in The Hague, the Netherlands, with many prominent political leaders present. At this yearly event the German Minister of Economy and Energy, Peter Altmaier, delivered a speech and engaged in a …

At a conference on 4 September 2018 the S&D Group in the European Parliament together with Culture Action Europe and Freemuse presented a report on the state of artistic freedom around the world. President Festim Lato attended the conference to be the voice of Cham culture that still clings on a …

The Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato was at the European Economic and Social Commitee today, 3 September 2018, to attend a public hearing by the Study Group on Justice, Rights and Values Fund. This Study Group consists of representatives of the European Commission, European Parliament and …

On Wednesday 29 August 2018, the Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato attended a conference at the European Parliament which focussed on Russian military aggression in Georgia in 2008 and the lessons that the West should learn when it comes to the crisis and potential conflicts in the Ukraine …

President Festim Lato participated in a political event organised by the Dutch liberal party D66 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands on 27 August 2018. The event provided the opportunity to discuss the upcoming European elections with the candidates for the Party’s leadership. In an interactive dialogue wi …

The Republic of Chameria has launched an official television channel that will broadcast events, interviews and documentaries related to the activities of the president and his government. The channel is named: Republika E Çamërisë Televizion (RÇTV) In one of the first interviews of RÇTV, the Republ …

On 14 July 2018, the Cham House of Peace was officially opened in the town of Vërvë, overlooking Chameria. It will serve as a meeting point and peace institute for the Balkan region. On a hilltop looking out over Chameria stand several historical buildings that have witnessed many of the sufferings …

On Saturday 14 July 2018 the Republic of Chameria organised a congress in Sarande to officially kick-off the construction of the infrastructure of Chameria. Up to one-thousand Cham travelled from all over the region to be part of this historic event. More than a dozen tour busses lined the street in …

On 12 and 13 July 2018, the national football team of the Republic of Chameria played several friendly matches against Albanian teams from Tirana and Vlorë; Sporting Tirana and Oricum. These teams play in the highest Albanian league. Both matches were won by the Chamerian team with a score of two to …

On behalf of the Republic of Chameria and all the Cham people I wish to inform you about the unlawful arrests of Cham activists by the Albanian police. This night (Friday 13 July 2018) six Cham activists were arrested while driving from Sarande to the city of Verve, Albania. The Albanian police took …

After decades of neglect by subsequent governments of Albania, president Festim Lato of the Republic of Chameria has laid out a strategy to develop the border region that connects Chameria with its neighbours. On 30 June 2018, the work on the 12 km road from Konispol to Verve started when a group of …

On 25 June 2018 the Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato had a meeting with Dr. Somers, the manager of the Dutch institute on war documentation and genocide studies (NIOD), to request support for activities to make the genocide against the Cham in 1944 better known internationally. NIOD is a v …

On 19 June 2018, in Brussels, Belgium, the Antall József Knowledge Centre and the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies organised a conference to discuss the challenges of the young generation in the Western Balkans. A great number of representatives of civil society organisations and local a …

Today, 14 June 2018, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Chameria was established. At the first General Meeting held in The Hague, the Netherlands, the charter of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Chameria (CCI Republic of Chameria) was formally presented an …

On 8 and 9 June 2018, the 175th year of the birth of Bertha von Suttner was celebrated with a two-day conference in The Hague, the city of Peace and Justice. Bertha von Suttner was the first woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905 for her relentless work on peace and justice. Speakers from ma …

On 27 May 2018, Festim Lato, the president of the Republic of Chameria, organised an international conference in Tirana, Albania. This conference brought together a dozen experts from various fields to discuss the past, present and future of Chameria. At the main conference hall in the Tirana Intern …

Today, 24 May 2018, the Football Federation of Chameria became a member of CONIFA, the Confederation of Independent Football Associations. CONIFA is the biggest international football federation outside FIFA. It has a membership of over 40 underrepresented nations who compete in a European and World …

On Monday 21 May 2018, the Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato attended the launch of the EU Green week in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The event was opened by the Mayor of Utrecht, Mr. Jan van Zanen and the European Commissioner for the Environment, Karmenu Vella, who explained the importance o …

On 3 May 2018, World Press Freedom Day, the Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato participated in the European Parliament conference on the situation of the media and freedom of expression. It was opened by the president of the European Parliament, Mr. Antonio Tajani and featured many high-prof …

Today, 2 May 2018, Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato was in Luxembourg to exchange views with its Prime-minister, Xavier Bettel, on the future of European cooperation and the digital agenda. The various topics included new policies to combat cyberthreats, continuous digital education, espec …

On 25 April 2018 the Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato met the president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, after a major conference in the European Parliament. At this occasion Chamerian president Festim Lato had the opportunity to explain the situation in which the Cham community …

On Monday 23 April 2018, the president of Kosovo, Mr. Hashim Thaci visited The Hague, the Netherlands to participate in an open debate organised by the Netherlands International Political Affairs Institute, Clingendael. The event also marked the launch and presentation of a book that authors from Th …

On 14 April 2018, a group of Cham again took to the streets of Vlorë, Albania to raise awareness of the plight of the Cham community and the continuing struggle for greater respect for human rights and self-determination for Chameria. The demonstration carried the flags of all the supporters of the …

The Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato today, Thursday 12 April 2018, met several of the main European political leaders in Hamburg, Germany. At a high level conference in Hamburg, Germany, political leaders from the Social-democratic family discussed the current human rights situation in Eu …

On 31 March 2018, a group of Cham took to the streets of Vlorë, Albania to raise awareness of the plight of the Cham community and the continuing struggle for greater respect for human rights and self-determination for Chameria. The demonstration carried the flags of all the supporters of the cause …

The Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato visited the Dutch parliament today (7 March 2018) for meetings with several diplomatic advisers and parliamentarians. The president also participated in a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands and representatives of the main Dutch polit …

On Monday 5 March 2018 Dr. Paul Meerts, senior associate at Clingendael Institute and board member of Process of International Negotiations, visited the Embassy of the Republic of Chameria in order to discuss the various strategies to improve the negotiations between Chameria and Greece. In his disc …

On 1 March 2018, the Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato and Prime-minister Ali Aliu had a meeting with one of the main parliamentarians of the European Parliament, Ilhan Kyukchuk. He is the Vice-president of the European liberal party (ALDE) in the Parliament and a vocal advocate for human a …

The Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato together with the Prime Minister Ali Aliu participated in a European Parliament conference on Nagorno Karabagh. The conference was organised by the AGBU, EuFoA and the EPP on the occasion of thirty year after the start of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. …

On Tuesday 20 February 2018 the Greek border control denied a group of elderly Cham, who planned to visit their places of birth, entry into Greece. In 1944 most of the Cham population were expelled from Chameria and sought refuge in Albania. In 2018 there are still those in the Cham community who re …

In the Dutch parliament building on 15 February 2018, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) organised an event to honor one of its former High Commissioners, the late Mr. Max van der Stoel (1924-2011). Many Dutch and international diplomats were invited to receive the highly …

On 8 February 2018, the Center for European Policy Studies and Mr. Maciej Popowski, Deputy Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission, invited representatives from international institutions for the first public discussion after the presentation of the …

On 31 January 2018, the Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato and the Prime Minister Ali Aliu joined other political leaders in Europe at a high-level conference in the European Parliament. The meeting focussed on the topic of a fair and balanced European Union in which young people have the op …

PRESS RELEASE The Republic of Chameria Condemns Edi Rama’s New Deal With Greece Today, 30 january 2018 Albanian Prime minister Edi Rama signed an agreement changing the maritime borders between Greece and Albania in favour of the former. The Government of the Republic of Chameria condemns this deal …

On 24 January 2018, President Festim Lato attended a high-profile gala in Brussels with the leaders of the European Peoples Party (EPP) and the European Parliament. The gala was held in one of the most prestigious halls in Brussels and the topic that most of the participants addressed was at least a …

On 23 January 2018, Festim Lato, the president of the Republic of Chameria, met several key political leaders from the social-democrats in Europe. In the European Parliament in Brussels president Festim Lato attended a conference and had several meetings and discussions with parliamentarians and pol …

Today, 20 January 2018, a large crowd of Cham took to the streets in Dürres to raise awareness for the Cham cause and to protest against the visit of the Greek foreign minister Kotzias who is on an official visit to Albania to meet with the Albanian government. The Cham people, lead by the president …

On Tuesday 9 January 2018 Chamerian president Festim Lato, prime-minister Ali Aliu and Mr. Jeroen Zandberg participated in a conference organised by the European liberal group. The conference titled ‘The State of Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in the EU – Safeguarding a comm …

Citizenship of the Republic of Chameria has many benefits. You can use all of the public services that the government offers. Furthermore, it provides access to the land registry of Chameria which can be used to invest in land and property in the Republic of Chameria. A passport is offered to all th …

On Wednesday 20 December 2017 the Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato participated in a conference in the international city of peace and justice, The Hague, the Netherlands. The conference was organised in the run up to the 2018 membership of the Netherlands and Sweden of the United Nations …

On 15 December 2017, The Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato submitted a claim to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). This legal claim seeks to address the unresolved human rights violations against the Cham people. The illegal expropriation of land, the denial of the Cham language and …

On 14 December 2017 Chameria president Festim Lato was in Brussels to attend several seminars and meetings with EU officials and politicians relating to the social and economic development of the Balkan and Mediterranean region. During these meetings the Chamerian president presented the case of Cha …

On 10 December 2017 a manifestation and conference to gather and inform the Cham people about the activities of the government of the Republic of Chameria was held on the central square in Vlorë, Albania. It was organized by the Republic of Chameria President Festim Lato. A large crowd of over a tho …

On 1 to 3 December 2017 the Republic of Chameria president Festim Lato joined a range of high-profile political leaders from all over Europe for a three day congress to discuss the political challenges ahead for 2018. The three-day event was organised by the ALDE political group which brought the li …

On 31 October 2017 several hundred Cham supporters and activists came to The Hague, the Netherlands to celebrate the one year anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Chameria on 31 October 2016. The main cabinet members and advisers held speeches, as did the president of the Republic, Fest …

On 20 September 2017, the Chamerian president Festim Lato participated in a conference in Brussels organized by the ALDE party and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. The event with Estonian Prime-Minister Jüri Ratas focused on the Estonian Presidency of the EU, which is currently half way. The Prime- …

Chamerian president Festim Lato organized a conference in The Hague, the Netherlands where the new constitution of the Republic of Chameria was unveiled and the new government officials were presented. On 9 September 2017, at a well-attended ceremony in The Hague, the Netherlands, the new constituti …

On 1 September 2017, Chamerian president Festim Lato participated in a conference in the Dutch parliament organized by the Atlantic Commission on the challenges of UN peacekeeping. In an interactive setting the Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations Jean-Pierre Lac …

As part of the global diplomatic effort to get international attention for the cause of Chameria, a delegation led by Chamerian president Festim Lato travelled to Italy for a ten-day mission to meet with government officials. The delegation visited the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as …

On 16 to 19 July 2017, Chamerian president Festim Lato headed a 5 person delegation to Israel. The Chamerian president Festim Lato had several meetings with representatives of the municipalities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as well as with government officials from various ministries, among which the …

On 26 to 28 June 2017 president Festim Lato participated in several conferences in Edinburgh, Scotland. These conferences were organised by several Scottish political parties and took place in the Scottish parliament. The first conference on 26 June was titled: Sharing Perspectives on the Rights of …

On Saturday 17 June 2017 an international footbal tournament was held in The Hague, the Netherlands. The event was organised by the City of The Hague and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation and brought together eight teams from various nationalities who played for the World Cup of unr …